IRVINE : Police Warn of Rise in Use of Phony Bills

Responding to an increase in the circulation of counterfeit money, police officers this month received special training from the U.S. Secret Service on how to identify phony currency.

The one-day training seminar also gave officers an overview of commonly used counterfeiting techniques and updated them about the recent activities of several suspected counterfeiters.

“We are experiencing an increase in the passing of bad bills, so we are bringing our people up to speed,” Police Sgt. Jim Broomfield said.

The training came a week after police arrested a man for allegedly using phony money.

The incident occurred in early May at a nightclub in the northern part of the city. Police said the suspect had passed counterfeit bills at the location for several weeks.

A club waitress contacted police after realizing that the $20 bills the suspect gave her “didn’t feel like real money,” Broomfield said.

Officers arrived at the scene and discovered that the man was carrying $740 in phony bills, he added.

If a bill is suspected to be counterfeit, police suggest:

* Comparing the series year of the questionable bill with that of another bill of the same denomination. The series year remains the same on all bills until a major design change is made. The series year is in the right-hand corner of the bill below the portrait.

* Folding the questionable bill lengthwise and examining the portrait, which should look crisp and “lifelike.”

* Checking the Treasury seal, which is difficult to duplicate. Under magnification, the seal should look “crisp and very distinct.”